With the lights about to go out on their season, the Dodgers turned the power back on with four home runs in a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series Wednesday afternoon at Dodger Stadium.

The win leaves the Dodgers still on the brink of elimination, down three games to two in the best-of-seven series, but it sends them back to Busch Stadium in St. Louis for Game 6 Friday. Clayton Kershaw will be on the mound for the Dodgers in a Game 2 rematch against Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha.

“I think if you look at it now – we’ve kind of become America’s team because everyone wants to see a seventh game,” Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said, tongue in cheek. “Probably even the fans in St. Louis would like to see a seventh game. So I figure that everybody’s (rooting) for us to win Friday night.

“It’s obviously a pretty good feeling with Clayton pitching on Friday. So we breathe until then.”

Adrian Gonzalez did his part to let his teammates exhale. He hit two of the Dodgers’ four home runs. The first broke a 2-2 tie in the third inning and featured a new home run celebration by the Dodgers first baseman.

As he returned to the dugout, Gonzalez put his hands to each side of his head and made a gesture suggesting Mickey Mouse ears. Cardinals right-hander Adam Wainwright accused Gonzalez of pulling “Mickey Mouse stuff” on the bases earlier in the series.

“I was just having fun with the comment that was made earlier,” Gonzalez said. “Nothing against them or anything. It was just to have fun.”

Carl Crawford hit his fourth home run of the playoffs and A.J. Ellis added a solo shot as the Dodgers tied the franchise record for homers in a postseason game.

“We got some pitches to hit,” Ellis said with a shrug, explaining what qualified as an offensive explosion in this series.

“We’ve got a lot of guys in here with a lot of pride, who love to compete, who don’t want this ride to end. We had that hot stretch in the middle of the season so we know it’s in there. We know we can do it. We just want to keep playing. … Every game is a one-game Super Bowl from here on out.”

Maybe that got the attention of Zack Greinke, whose obsession – and acumen – with his fantasy football team has been playfully mocked by Ellis.

The first three Cardinals batters reached base Wednesday, but he struck out Matt Adams and then got Yadier Molina to bounce into a double play.

“Zack is so mentally strong,” Ellis said. “I knew he was going to find a way to navigate out of that.”

Two innings later, the Cardinals got to Greinke for two runs (just as they had in the third inning of Game 1) before he got Molina to bounce into another inning-ending double play.

That started a stretch of 13 consecutive batters retired by Greinke, who had a lead when he left after seven innings this time thanks to the Dodgers’ first home runs of the series.

“I felt like they were adjusting … and they were hitting the off-speed well,” Greinke said of his mid-game dominance. “So I just tried to locate some fastballs and it ended up working. Got some quick outs.

“It's always a mental battle, a physical and mental battle against them, trying to make adjustments before they do.”

With the Dodgers trying to “enjoy the moment,” as Gonzalez said, even while faced with potentially three consecutive elimination games, the mental battle might be tilting against the Cardinals. Eleven times a team has taken a 3-1 lead in an LCS or World Series only to lose the series. The Cardinals are the only team to do it more than once. They have blown 3-1 leads four times – including last year’s NLCS against the San Francisco Giants.

The Dodgers will pack for a week-long road trip when they leave for St. Louis on Thursday – just in case. The World Series starts Wednesday in Detroit or Boston.

Dodgers fans celebrate after Adrian Gonzalez hits his second home run of the game in the eighth inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Adrian Gonzalez rounds third base after hitting the first of his two home runs Wednesday, a solo shot in the third inning that put the Dodgers on top of the Cardinals to stay. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pitcher Zack Greinke singles to left to drive home the Dodgers' second run of the game in the bottom of the second inning on Wednesday. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Zack Greinke settled down after a shaky start, pitching seven innings and giving up two runs on six hits in Game 5 Wednesday afternoon. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez hits his second home run of the game, off Cardinals reliever John Axford, in the eighth inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Brian Wilson celebrates after finishing off a 1-2-3 eighth inning against the Cardinals. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Adrian Gonzalez homers to right field in the bottom half of the third inning to put the Dodgers on top 3-2. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Adrian Gonzalez is jubilant after hitting a home run to right field in the bottom of the third inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' A.J. Ellis watches his home run leave the field during the seventh inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A.J. Ellis is congratulated by Dodgers teammate Carl Crawford as he returns to the dugout after hitting a home run in the seventh inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Yasiel Puig is not happy with the home plate umpire after being called out on strikes in the fourth inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford dives but can't catch a fly ball by the Cardinals' Matt Holliday, which lands in front of center fielder Andre Ethier. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig singles on a line drive to right. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Carl Crawford gets a high five from Dodgers teammate Hanley Ramirez after hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers shortstop Hanley Ramirez is not happy about being called out on strikes in the bottom of the first inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke singles on a ground ball to left to drive in Yasiel Puig. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Adrian Gonzalez scores on a Juan Uribe single in the bottom of the second inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers center fielder Andre Ethier watches Carlos Beltran's triple bounce off of the outfield wall back toward the infield in the third inning. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Matt Carpenter is congratulated by Matt Holliday after scoring in the top half of the third inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez watches his solo home run to right field in the bottom of the third inning. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig stares down the home plate umpire after being called out on strikes. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers runner Mark Ellis is out at second base as Hanley Ramirez grounds into a double play. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke throws out Cardinals shortstop Pete Kozma in the second inning. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is greeted by teammates and fans after hitting his first solo home run in Game 5. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers left fielder Carl Crawford rounds third and heads for home with a solo home run during Game 5. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers starting pitcher Zack Greinke delivers in the seventh inning. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers outfielders Carl Crawford, Yasiel Puig and Andre Ethier jump together at the end of Game 5. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez watches his second home run leave the park in the eighth inning. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez rounds third base after hitting a home run to right field in the bottom of the third to put the Dodgers on top 3-2. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodgers Mark Ellis is out at second base as Hanley Ramirez grounds into a double play during Game 5. MICHAEL GOULDING, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez scores the first run of the game past Cardinal catcher Yadier Molina on a single by Juan Uribe in the second inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez is congratulated by third base coach Tim Wallach after his second home run of the game in the eighth inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Adrian Gonzalez pumps his fist as fans celebrate the final out of the Dodgers' 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5 of the NLCS at Dodger Stadium Wednesday afternoon. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dodger fans cheer after the Cardinals' David Freese strikes out in the top of the ninth. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Zack Greinke is congratulated by Andre Ethier after pitching seven innings and giving up two runs on six hits. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Carl Crawford connects for a solo home run in the fifth inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Orel Hershiser waves to the crowd before throwing out the first pitch before the Dodgers' 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 5. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
The Dodgers' Carl Crawford is welcomed into the dugout after his solo home run in the fifth inning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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